The present invention relates generally to a system and method for providing interactive components, such as markup language elements in motion video.
Generally, computer systems exist for editing, playing, and broadcasting motion video. One such editing and playback system is the Media Composer video production system provided by Avid Technology, Inc. (Media Composer is a registered trademark of Avid Technology, Inc.). These computer systems typically digitize one or more video and audio tracks and store them on computer storage media, such as a hard disk device. Software systems may then modify, combine, or enhance these video and audio tracks to produce a broadcast-quality production, such as a motion picture or newscast. These systems may include editing software that may allow a user to select different segments of audio and video, prepare clips for replay, and perform splicing between clips, among other functions.
Computer systems also exist that are capable of displaying interactive documents having interactive elements. In particular, markup languages allow a user to define a number of different types of elements within an interactive document, some of which are capable of handling interactions with a user. Interactions may include selecting an interactive element within the displayed electronic document, using a pointing device such as a mouse. Such elements may include a predefined area of a still picture or a series of text. A user may also input information into a displayed element, using the keyboard or other input device. When a user interacts with the document, the interactions may cause additional information to be displayed to the user.
Examples of markup languages generally used to produce interactive electronic documents include SGML, XML, HTML, and Dynamic HTML, among others. The Standard Generalized Markup Language (xe2x80x9cSGMLxe2x80x9d) is used to represent a wide variety of document types such as books, electronic software documentation, and equipment specifications, among other applications. SGML is an international standard (ISO-8879) published in 1986 for the electronic publication of documents. SGML defines a markup language wherein content of a document is structured using markup, i.e., tags or codes encapsulating the content. The markup defines elements which form a logical, predictable structure. SGML defines a strict markup scheme with a syntax for defining document elements and an overall framework for marking up documents. A document type definition (DTD) of SGML establishes the structure of a markup document of a particular type, and provides a framework for the kinds of elements that constitute a document of that type. The markup of a document is interpreted as an ordered hierarchy of markup elements which when, taken together, form a tree or similar hierarchial object. A markup element describes the function or meaning of the content which it includes.
In such a document, markup elements include tags and their content, such as text, graphics, still images or other media. A markup language document includes markup tags that may be described as start tags, end tags, or empty tags. A start tag begins a markup element. An end tag ends the corresponding markup element. These start tags and end tags define the element in markup languages, such as a book, library, or body of a document. An empty tag is understood as being both a start tag and an end tag with no content between the start and end tags. Between a start tag and an end tag other start tags and corresponding end tags may be arranged in a hierarchial manner such that there are children elements and parent elements having a defined relationship to each other. These elements may define a series of interactive elements that may receive user input. Such elements may include buttons, menus, text fields, graphics, links to other documents or other interactive markup elements as defined by the markup language. When a user provides input to these elements through a document viewer/browser interface, the viewer may respond by modifying, transmitting, or receiving displayed or stored data.
Also in markup language documents, there are elements that contain metadata, or information about the document. Metadata may describe document information such as location, name, and creation date of an electronic document that may accompany the document or may be embedded in the document itself. Metadata is typically used to catalogue electronic documents or otherwise identify information relative to an electronic document.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), extensible Markup Language (XML) and Dynamic HTML define particular document types that conform to SGML by having a definitive DTD. HTML, XML, and Dynamic FITML are widely used over the Internet for distributing information between servers and clients. These markup language document types may be edited, viewed and verified according to their respective DTDs. By distributing markup language documents through networks such as the Internet, information providers can make information available to a large number of consumers. These interactive documents are generally transferred between a xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d, or provider system, and a xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d, or consumer system over a communication network. In the Internet, documents may be transferred using a transfer protocol referred to in the art as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). This application-layer protocol uses a network-layer transport protocol such as the well-known Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to transfer these documents over the network between a server and a client. When transmitting information to many clients, a protocol vehicle referred to as multicast is used to transfer information economically. Multicast, TCP/IP, and HTTP are well-known in the art of computer communications protocols.
Documents may be distributed over various types of networks, such as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, ATM, FDDI, dial-up networks, among others. Documents may also be broadcast or multicast to multiple users over a network such as a video broadcast network. Specifically, documents may be transmitted within a video signal, such within a vertical blanking interval signal (VBI) of a video transmission signal. The VBI is the section of the video signal that may be used for transmitting data, such as closed-captioning information. One such method of transmitting multimedia data over networks and within video signals is disclosed in the Broadcast-Enabled PC Software Development Kit provided by the Microsoft Corporation. The software development kit and its associated library functions provide a facility for transmitting multicast IP data to a number of clients over a variety of network interfaces.
Markup language documents are generally viewed using a software program referred to in the art as a browser or viewer. A browser interprets a series of elements of a markup language document as browser instructions. The elements contain text or images, and a number of formatting commands, when interpreted, change the appearance of text or images within the display generated by the browser. Browsers typically interpret interactive markup language elements and handle input and output events associated with these interactive elements. Examples of browsers include the Navigator and Microsoft Explorer browser programs provided by the Netscape Corporation and the Microsoft Corporation, respectively (Navigator is a registered trademark of the Netscape Corporation). These browsers are software systems that are generally installed on a computer and computer user to enable the computer to view and edit markup language documents.
Another system for viewing markup language documents is the WebTV browser provided by WebTV Networks, Inc. and various other manufacturers (WebTV and WebTV Network are registered trademarks of WebTV Networks, Inc.). The WebTV Internet browser is a system that allows a user to browse markup language documents published on the Internet without the need for a computer. The WebTV Internet browser includes hardware connected to a standard television and phone line. The hardware obtains documents through the phone line using HTTP and TCP/IP protocols in a well-known manner. A recent improvement of the WebTV browser hardware, referred to as WebTV Plus hardware, allows a content provider to broadcast markup language documents. This improved WebTV hardware may display both video and markup language data on the screen at the same, to provide information such as stock information reports, channel guides, etc. The video information generally appears in one rectangular section of the screen reserved for displaying video in what is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cpicture-in-picturexe2x80x9d format, or in WebTV Plus, xe2x80x9cWeb PIPxe2x80x9d format. This display of data in the rectangular section of the screen is independent of the display of data in other areas of the screen. The markup language document is displayed in a separate section of the screen and may receive interactive input from the user. A user may xe2x80x9cflipxe2x80x9d back and forth between the video information and markup language document that is displayed on the television screen.
Prior systems do not allow a user to associate interactive data with a video presentation in a time-based relationship over a distributed network. An editing system and delivery system is provided that synchronizes the transmission of interactive elements with a video signal, such that the interactive components may supplement information provided in the video signal at predefined periods. The interactive elements are transmitted in relation to the video such that the interactive elements will arrive in time to display the components concurrently with a portion of the video presentation. The interactive elements may be transmitted within a video signal to a viewer. The viewer is configured to display the interactive elements in response to a signal from the delivery system.
An editing system is disclosed that may define a programming track for interactive elements that may be associated with one or more audio and video tracks. The editing system schedules transmission and appearance of the elements. A graphical user interface of the editing system may display a time in a presentation timeline when the interactive elements appear and the duration which the interactive elements are displayed. Graphical user interface representations of the interactive elements are translated into commands including file transfer instructions to be executed on a playback system. The playback system may transmit information element data within a video signal to a viewer.
This ability to synchronize interactive elements with portions of a video presentation provides an audience an enhanced presentation experience. Audience users may then interact with the presentation they are watching, because various interactive elements are displayed to the user when a particular portion of the video presentation is played. A user then may interact with the interactive elements and receive more information associated with the presentation. The ability to provide interactive elements with a video presentation may be particularly useful for video training and presentations, newscasts, entertainment programs, and other viewing environments where a heightened viewing experience is desired.
According to one aspect, a method is provided for processing a video signal using an editing system program. The method involves of associating an interactive element to a portion of a video presentation to be transmitted and displayed on a viewer, wherein the interactive element has a predefined relationship to the portion and transmitting the interactive element to the viewer at a predetermined time relative to a transmission of the portion.
According to another aspect, a system and method is provided that determines a time relation between a video broadcast and an interactive video element. An interactive element is inserted into the video signal based on the time relation.
According to another aspect, method for transmitting a video signal is provided that receives a composition of a multimedia presentation, the composition including one or more interactive elements having a time relation to one or more video elements. The interactive elements are encoded within the video signal and the video signal is transmitted.